This Writer Won’t Vacation Where?

How does a writer choose a vacation spot? My writer’s brain, not to mention my inner wolf (Lupus-self) immediately takes over when I try to conjur vacation spots. Instead of thinking of swimming spots, fun in the sun, joining the milling crowds, I wonder….

So many writers (moi included) are thinking up ways to off someone. Where are the criminals? Who are the criminals? The evil masquerading as “normal”. Or, where’s a good spot for the ‘meet cute’ to take place? You know, the soon-to-be lovers who irritate the hell out of each other initially, then have their HEA (happily ever after) at the end. Did I fail to mention I’m a romance writer? Gotta have angst, suspense, love, and sex. Did I mention love and sex?

I digress again. Whenever I think of going on vacation (or, ahem, leaving the house to go grocery shopping), my dad’s voice will occasionally pop into my head. Or, my own voice remembering his version of toddler basic training. As a former MP in WWII, who retired as a Chief Petty Officer after his twenty, he taught us vigilance and safety (not to mention how to incapacitate someone) practically from the cradle. He may be several years gone, but his voice seems to pop into my head with great regularity.

Back when I lived near him, or with him as his caregiver in later years, he wouldn’t let us leave the house without barking, “Be alert, men.” (yeah, I was a daughter, but see above ‘MP in WWII, retired as a Chief Petty Officer’).

Didn’t matter if I was ten or thirty years old. Couldn’t leave the house without those words ringing in my ears.

Meet TFC

I digress – again. Anyhoo, this long winded observation is because I was just looking at a site listing travel hacks, you know, a way to save money when you’re on the go. I’m always looking for a great place to get away to, and am frugal as hell.

One travel hack this site mentions is to house swap or house sit. Harking back to my training as a young Navy recruit aka, daughter of TF Cross, not to mention a writer who likes to think of how a serial killer would operate, my immediate thought was, No f*@king way would I do that. Hello! You don’t know who has keys to the place, nor do you know who the owner has pissed off lately.

Now, I know there are many of you out there who have successfully done this and who enjoy the hell out of your vacations, but alas, I shan’t be taking advantage of that travel hack. I’ll be the one not only staying at hotels, but inserting my own locking device in the door – you know – just to be sure.

Got any vacations planned this year? Do you normally go for the mainstream abodes, or something else? Share! Who knows, maybe I’ll pick a destination you’ve gone to for my next vacay!

Now, if they have a travel hack on how to meet sexy, muscly fifty-something guys while on vacay, I’m right on board with that!

And so, on your next vacation, in the immortal words of Chief Petty Officer TF Cross, “Stay alert, men.” That goes for you ladies out there, too.